Crystal Pier San Diego

San Diego’s Crystal Pier is located at Pacific Beach. It is a wooden pier with some cute little cottages located on it. They are rented by a private company and are normally booked far in advance of a stay. You’re not missing a thing when you find out you can stay at hotels with ocean views overlooking the Crystal Pier and Pacific Beach.  Available for your visit is a handful of hotels at Pacific Beach known for its surfing, beach fun, and eclectic beach restaurants.

Sports are big here, as well. Surfing, swimming, beach, running, jogging, walking kite flying, and  sand castle building are a few strenuous to easy activities to get your body moving. As beaches go, Pacific Beach is surrounded by Mission Beach to the south, and La Jolla beaches to the north.  There are some volleyball courts to play a game, and the little souvenir shops sells paddle ball sets, Frisbees, and other balls and toys for games.

Hotels near the Crystal Pier include Diamond Head.

Blue Sea Lodge

Blue Sea Lodge on the beach at Pacific Beach sits next door to the Surfer Beach Hotel. Both are located in the heart of PB’s dining, surfing, and beach hub. Within view of both hotels are more hotels near the Crystal Pier,  a unique wooden structure that artfully frames the bay views all the way to the hills skirting the edge of town and heading into La Jolla.

Blue Sea Lodge is one of the favorite California beach hotels in San Diego, known for year-round beach fun. While other Southern California hotels tend to lose their crowds, San Diego’s tourism holds strong even into the winter months. The word is out that the weather remains fine (even better than summer), hotel prices tend to drop, and the sunshine is out.

The Blue Sea Lodge includes ocean view and rooms without the ocean scene out your door that tend to cost a bit less. You can walk along the strand outside your hotel, and dine at beach-style restaurants serving, burgers, fish, chicken and a variety of menu items that adults and kids love.  One thing you may grow to love about San Diego is its casual style. Nine times out of ten you can dine at even the best restaurants with jeans, and a jacket. San Diego is one of the most relaxing cities to visit and it’s just one more reason to make this beach hotel your next stop on a vacation that gets you back to the basics.

Blue Sea Lodge can be easily accessed a short drive from Interstate 5 Freeway, or from the San Diego Airport. Taxis are plentiful, too. When you get your bearings, you can even hop on public buses outside the hotel at a bus stop. Locals love their public transportation and they ride it a lot. They also can tell you some tips on getting around.

Blue Sea Lodge prices are quite nice.

San Diego surfer hotel

Surfer Beach Hotel is a San Diego hotel on the beach smack dab in the heart of San Diego’s fun loving Pacific Beach. The only thing that separates you from the sand is a cement walkway or strand, a boardwalk of constant activity with bicyclers, roller bladers, joggers and pedestrians enjoying this sunny side of the street.

Hotels on the beach in San Diego are more plentiful than any other California destination and this neighborhood of the city of San Diego features not one but several such beaches. Hotels along this part of the beach include Best Western Blue Sea Lodge, Ocean Park Inn and

Check out the Surfer Beach Hotel rates and available rooms.

Pacific Beach boardwalk

There’s a lot of argument over what’s the best San Diego beaches. Locals have definite opinions and you aren’t going to be able to convince them otherwise about their choices. But as tourists, we look for a few things special to our cause: 1. Hotels at beaches in San Diego. 2. Restaurants at beaches in San Diego. 3. Clean beaches and fun activities. 4. A lively beach vibe.  5. Location, location, San Diego beach location.

Here’s my Best San Diego Beach List based on nothing but the criteria above. My number one favorite beach is Pacific Beach, mainly because it has hotels on the beach.  Overlooking the beach and bay, it has a nice stretch of sand and friendly Crystal Pier. There are great beach view restaurants, bars,  a Banana hostel, shopping, Starbucks grocery stores… you name it.

When I go to San Diego and stay on the beach I pick three spots. My first choice is The Catamaran Hotel at Pacific Beach. There are a handful of great hotels, including Best Western and Surfer’s Hotel.

I also love Mission Bay and the Hilton Resort on the bay. It used to be my first choice, but now it’s dropped in position because of the price points for a stay. It usually is a little more than Catamaran.

Third and never last is Coronado Island’s Loews Coronado Bay Resort. While the beach is a walk through a tunnel under the coast highway, there’s kind of a resort feel to the beaches there, and the hotel itself is an oasis of resort living with tennis courts, pools, spas, etc.

The next time your picking your San Diego beach vacation, you might also want to check my Californiabeaches.com features on San Diego.

Oceanside Wyndham

When you visit Oceanside and see the new Wyndham overlooking the Oceanside Pier from atop a hill, it’s a breath of fresh air. The setting is similar to a hotel that currently is charging close to three time more for a similar room in Santa Monica, but between you and me, I actually prefer Oceanside. With more expansive beaches, less traffic, and a laid back beach vibe that rolls you back to the 60’s, Oceanside is still that hidden gem you wish you could freeze in time so that it will never change.

The moment I arrived in town and stopped at the California Welcome Center, I was blown away by the friendly staff and amazing help. I’ve been to 6 California Welcome Centers throughout the state and none rival this place for people going out of their way to assist your needs. Make it your first stop off the Interstate 5 if you want to get some maps, tips, and great advice.

Oceanside is the northernmost San Diego County beach city buffered by Camp Pendleteon. A mix between a surfer town, retirement community, military community, and family destination, Oceanside is easy to fall in love with.

The Wyndham is fairly new and it has views. When you add that to the amazingly low prices, you have a winning combo not to be beat! This is the dream situation, and beach location.

Wyndham Oceanside Pier Prices

Pacific Beach is San Diego’s pleasure beach and one of the best spots to book a hotel. An eclectic mix of surfers, shoppers, tourists conventioneers, and day-trippers all clamor for the flavor of “PB”. As you wander its boardwalk you can smell burgers, steaks and fish form grills and restaurants along the strand cooking their flavorful dishes with ocean view settings that make dining pure pleasure.

Along this beach boardwalk is Diamond Head in at Pacific Beach. Many rooms are view rooms and best of all, from any room you need only step out your hotel door and onto the sand practically. Watch surfers who find love this spot, go eat, or take a walk. Head down to Belmont Park and have yourself a fun time with kids, or without.

While we love the Catamaran and the Blue Sea Lodge, both nearby, Diamond Head Inn offers affordable vacations and a great location that provides a winning combo for all seeking a getaway on the sand. The hotel overlooks Pacific Beach and the unique Crystal Pier.

When you go: Bring beach towels, sunblock and some walking shoes. There are lots of great neighborhood shops to explore around Pacific Beach.

Diamond Head Inn Prices

Blue Sea Lodge

Shown in the photo is Best Western Blue Sea Lodge at San Diego’s Pacific Beach.

If you wonder how San Diego stacks up to other California destinations for its beach hotels, we’ve done extensive surveys of the entire West Coast and concluded that hotels at beaches  in San Diego are the best on the entire US Pacific coast. While San Francisco offers some hotels at beaches, and Los Angeles has Santa Monica with several hotels on beaches, San Diego is the top vacation hands down.  To see a chart of California beach hotels, you’ll find some helpful links to plan your trips outside San Diego.  Since Visitsandiegohotels.com is chock full of ideas for beach hotel vacations, we recommend you make San Diego County a starting point for your beach vacation hotel search. Within San Diego there are number of beaches and beach hotels for you to explore. Among them are Pacific Beach with affordable Diamond Head Inn,  and Best Western Blue Sea Lodge, also with rooms overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  Both are located near Belmont Park, one of California’s few and fun amusements built right next to the ocean.

Prices at Blue Sea Lodge

Hyatt Manchester Grand

Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego was voted one the best places in California to watch a sunset. Why? Its 40th floor Top of the Hyatt bar features elegant cocktails and a breath-taking window on the world below. Water views are everywhere you look as you wait for the anticipated sunset, a sight to behold each night. The Hyatt’s  waterfront location is adjacent to Seaport Village and a short walk to  San Diego Convention Center. In a resort setting you can find entertainment inside the hotel and outdoors on the sizzling streets of San Diego’s downtown shopping, dining and Gaslamp Quarter.

One of the finest downtown San Diego hotels,  Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego features ocean views from a pool area,  tennis, and the relaxing Kin Spa. Seaport Village next to the hotel is a shopping and dining complex on the waterfront. There are many seafood restaurants, coffee bars, souvenir shops and great walks along the bay. Not far away is the Amtrak and Coaster trains, plus the red trolley offering rides to Tijuana.  As usual, we have to mention one of our top reasons for choosing Hyatt–the great, firm beds! Check out prices.

San Diego’s beautiful Mission Bay Hyatt Spa Resort at the Marina offers pure escape for business travelers bringing their families on their trips. The hotel features lots of meeting space with water views, lush landscaping, and water views from many of the hotel rooms and suites.

Hyatt hotels are known for their quality bedding which is what we love especially, making us loyal customers to this brand, but beyond that and the Hyatt luxury offerings in San Diego, here are some extras this particular bayfront hotel and resort with a complete spa offers.

Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina near Sea World San Diego spent $65 million on its decor and upgrades to the hotel. Ocean views,  redesigned guest rooms, and waterfront dining, a contemporary poolside lounge, an eco-friendly spa, and a water playground with three new pools and multiple water slides next to a full-service marina with jet skis, sailboats, kayaks, sports fishing and whale excursions provide everything you could want in a water setting. See Hotel Packages!

SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Legoland, Tijuana, and beaches all beckon on this quality biz trip or vacation. It’s just another reason to love San Diego for your vacation.

Hotel del Coronado offers the best beach vacations in San Diego, thanks to the historic hotels location. Kings, queens, actors, actresses, and regular people all have loved vacations at this oceanfront resort. Ideal for familes, singles and even weddings and honeymoons, the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island features sand beaches ideal for exploring, tennis courts overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and many amenites in what we conside San Diego’s best beach vacation, no doubt.

Having attended weddings at this luxurious hotel, I have fallen in love, myself, with its grandeur, glory and ambiance that exudes the lobbies, green lawns, and beautiful beach that lines the hotel.

Activities on site include bonfires on the beach, special brunches, holiday festivals, tennis courts overlooking the beach, a public golf course nearby, the local playhouse with musicals and plays, and winter time activities which have included an ice rink at the beach in recent years.